Can`t Change Gears Unless Engine Swithched Off ???

[stuu56]

Hi All,

Very unusual problem just occured today after having a new alternator belt (auxuliary belt) fitted to my 2ltr, 130, tdci, 56-plate Mondeo.

The mechanic at the garage was doing my job as the first one he`d done on this car. He jacked up the engine to do it and removed the engine mounting driver`s side...he jacked up the engine quite a bit on the driver`s side.

Eventually got the belt on and everything re-fitted.

Drove home the 8 miles with no gearchanging problems and stoped in at shopes 500yds from my house. As I was pulling in at kerbside at shops and trying to change gears, it was sticky and i had to be a bit forceful.

By the time I came out of shops and tried to drive away, the problem was getting really bad and it was getting very hard to select a gear.

Pulled in at my gate and couldn`t change gears unless i`d switched off engine, then absolutely no problem with clutch pedel down,..let pedal up and car took off in first as normal, but could change out of this gear.

Turned engine off again and down with cluth pedal and any gear was available.

Started up in first gear, but now the car was beginning to creep forward even with the clutch pedal fully down and clutch supposedly disengaged .

Any ideas as to the problem???

Could a fluid line have been snapped or partly broken with what he did in jacking the engine as the problem came on gradualy??

Need my car for work so any help GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks!

Stuart

[Stoney871]

If the engine has been moved around it's highly possible that the clutch line has been bent or pinched.

[stuu56]

Thanks Stoney...this`ll make it better for me knowing this when i`m putting it to the owner of this garage tomorrow and insisting he repair it.

[Steve]

I would take it stright back and say they he needs to fix the problem. But with garages they never blame themselves.

To me it looks like release bearing also check your linkage too

[gforce]

Could be a line damaged, the linkage cables could be knocked out of line and need straightened out, or something else like the clutch master cylinder. This happened on mine, couldn't select reverse, 1st or 2nd when cold to begin with, had to do 3rd gear take-offs. Got better when it heated up for the first few days but eventually unbearable and was cured with changing the cltuch master cylinder. Others have been known to fix gear selection problems with a simple fluid change.

Seems more than a coincidence though that this has just happened after you've had work done on the car, but there's a few options to have him look into when you go back to him.

EDIT: Just seeing the date of your post, so maybe you were already back to him yesterday...any joy?

[stuu56]

Just back from him...he`s been really nice about it...told me to bring it back and he`ll sort it out...only prob is, it`s 10 miles away and i have to start the car in the gear i place it in before starting up as it won`t change when running...so will have tio start it in 2nd ad drive thru Glasgow for 10 miles till i reach his place. He said rev up slightly and it will change as the revs die down,...yet to try this.

I`m sure it`s just one of the line joints/circlips has loosened a bit and is letting in air so no clutch line pressure.

[flying clutchman]

Did you get this sorted? Jacking up the engine on the drivers side really shouldn't affect the clutch in any way. The hydraulic connections are flexible and have a massive amount of give in them. Interested to know how this problem occurered.

[stuu56]

Hi, thanks for this info...

Going to bleed clutch later today after I put on a wee clamp to the clutch pipe that comes out of the top side of the reservoir ...it's a steel pipe that goes into the reservoir and is a few inches long...this goes into a flexible piece of something about 5 inches long, and another steel pipe line goes in the other side of it and down to the clutch.

Each end of this flexible tubing has a wee clamp ..however, when I checked to see if the pipe coming up from the clutch could be moved where it enters the flexible tubing, it slid out without any effort at all so the wee circular clamp is not sealing and holding it...will put one on that can be tightened with a screwdriver and see if it totally secures it...if ok, will bleed the clutch...

[flying clutchman]

You might have to replace this section of pipe, I've never known them to part like you describe.